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ARLINGTON, Va. - Virginia's attorney general launched a new voter protection unit, in part because of the actions of President Donald Trump.
What we know:
Attorney General Jay Jones said the goal of the new unit is to "address the continued erosion of the federal Voting Rights Act, Donald Trump's relentless attacks on our democracy, and his administration's efforts to impede access to the ballot."
"We know that Donald Trump has tried to mess with elections across this country. We know that they’ve tried to sow chaos, confusion, and fear," Jones told FOX 5. "We want to make sure that we’re protecting the constitution of the United States and enforcing the laws on the books here in Virginia to make sure that everybody who registered has the opportunity to go and make their voices heard in what is going to be a very consequential election."
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Jones listed hypothetical incidents that the voter protection unit may handle.
"If people are denied the right to vote inexplicably at a polling place, they’re going to end up coming to our office, working with [the Virginia Department of Elections] to make sure we get that rectified," Jones explained, "We want to make sure people who are monitoring elections are doing it under the rules and laws and regulations that we have on the books, and they’re not intimidating people, harassing folks."
White House responds
The other side:
The White House had a different take. Spokesperson Lauren Bis sent FOX 5 the following statement:
"Radical Virginia Democrats, like Jay Jones, love to preach about ‘protecting our elections’ while mailing ballots to dead felons. This is nothing more than a political stunt, while President Trump is fighting every day to ensure that only American citizens elect American leaders and to enact commonsense measures like voter ID."
Big picture view:
Jones said that while he wants Virginia voters to know his office is ready to act, he expects the midterm election to go smoothly.
He added that the voter protection unit will be permanent.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Virginia Attorney General's Office and White House Spokesperson Lauren Bis.